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The purpose of this study was to analyse Italian high school and university students' attitudes towards physics using the Semiotic Cultural Psychological Theory (SCPT). In the SCPT framework, attitudes represent how individuals interpret their experience through the mediation of "generalized meaning" with which they are identified. A view-of-physics questionnaire was used as an instrument to collect data with 1603 high school and university students. Data were analysed through multiple correspondence analysis and cluster analysis. We identified four "generalized meanings" of physics: (a) interesting and important for society; (b) a quite interesting, but badly taught subject at school and not completely useful for society; (c) difficult to study and irrelevant for society; and (d) a fascinating and protective niche from society. The identified generalized meanings are significantly correlated to the choice to study physics at undergraduate level and to the choice of attending physics-related activities in high school. Implications for research are discussed.

In this study, we present a new instrument, the Participation and Engagement Scale (PES), for the evaluation of the students' involvement in STEM-oriented activities. The instrument was administered to about 1000 secondary school students who participated in the activities of the Italian "Piano Nazionale Lauree Scientifiche" in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The activities were carried out in a remote modality due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Through an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, it was possible to validate a two-factor structure of the instrument: satisfaction towards the activities and value of the activities. The proposed factor structure shows a good model fit, with each of the obtained scales displaying excellent reliability. Construct-related validation evidence was obtained through the Rasch analysis, which allowed further psychometric improvement of the instrument. Convergent validation evidence was established through a correlation with the academic motivation and perceived difficulties scales. Using the proposed instrument, we found no statistically significant relationships between engagement, the different types of science activities attended, and the intention to enroll in a STEM course. Implications of the study for the evaluation of public understanding of science activities in both remote and in-presence modalities are also discussed.

We surveyed a convenience sample of 362 Italian university physics students, asking them to retrospectively assess their experience of emergency remote instruction due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We looked at their psychological well being, motivation for physics, academic orientation, attitude towards physics and physicists, and tried to link these factors to their overall perception of the online instruction. Our results show a general appreciation for the organization and effectiveness of online courses. However, online teaching negatively impacted on engagement and interaction between peers and with the instructors. Only 22% of students in our sample complained of the psychological distress due to remote instruction. Nonetheless, we found a significant decrease in motivational dimensions, such as interest and recognition. Emergency remote instruction also challenged the students' self-regulation, self-efficacy, and engagement. Finally, the uncertainty about the future resulted in a more pessimistic attitude towards physics, academic performance, and job perspectives.

We present the development and validation of a construct map addressing introductory quantum mechanics topics at the high school level, as a subset of a larger learning progression on quantum mechanics. Topics include energy quantization, photon absorption and emission, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, atom stability, orbitals, wave function, and electronic properties of materials. To validate the hypothesized construct map, we designed a multiple-choice questionnaire and a 14-h teaching-learning sequence (TLS) designed in strict relation with the levels of the construct map. Twenty-three classes of Italian students (ages 17-18, N = 408) were involved in the study: about half (N = 200) were exposed to the TLS, while N = 208 students received a typical textbook instruction on the same topics targeted by the construct map. Data were analyzed using a 1D Rasch model. Results show that the proposed construct map consistently describes the increasing abilities of students when exposed to instruction. In particular, when exposed to the TLS activities, students more likely move towards the upper levels of the construct map. Findings have implications for instruction designed to support students' learning in quantum mechanics at the high school level.

We present the design, statistical analysis, and validation of a questionnaire to assess students' knowledge about basic aspects of quantum mechanics (QM). The QM evaluation (QME) is a true-false and multiple-choice mixed questionnaire that features 10 two-tier items spanning three relevant themes in quantum mechanics: wave behavior of matter, measurement, and atoms and electrons behavior. Its validity was assessed through a pilot administration to students and interviews with course instructors. We checked its internal consistency using both classic test theory and Rasch analysis to account for the different difficulty of each tier and for different scoring methods of the items. The questionnaire was administered to about 450 undergraduate physics students and high school physics teachers. Data show that it is a reliable instrument and all items have a good discriminatory power. Since the test does not require an advanced mathematical knowledge, it ideally lends itself to probe students' knowledge about quantum mechanics in a variety of university courses, from the introductory ones to those more formal and mathematically oriented.

The fabrication methods and experimental results of (100) tilt and twist YBCO biepitaxial junctions are described.

We report an empirical study on the development and validation of a learning progression (LP) in quantum mechanics (QM) at university level. Drawing on research results about students' reasoning in QM, we designed a hypothetical LP (HLP) consisting of three Big Ideas: Measurement, A toms and Electrons, Wave function. We then developed ten Ordered-Multiple-Choice (OMC) items to assess the construct validity and hierarchy of HLP levels. We administered the questionnaire to 244 students attending the Bachelor in Physics, divided into three groups under different instruction conditions: no course, introductory course, introductory and upper-level course. An additional group of 43 non-physics students, who attended an introductory QM course, was also involved to inspect the role of physics background knowledge. We used exploratory factor analysis and Rasch analysis to analyse collected data. The results provided evidence for the revision of the HLP around only two Big Ideas - Atomic description and measurement; Wave function and its properties in the measurement process - which roughly match the topics covered in the introductory and upper-level courses, respectively. However, the hierarchy of hypothesised levels was substantially confirmed. Implications of our findings for the teaching of QM, and the improvement of the revised LP are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]